- Serving: Makes 2 loaves
Red Lion Lemon Bread
This delicious quick bread — a bread which uses baking powder or soda as a leavening agent, rather than yeast — has a light lemon flavor that comes from fresh lemon pudding. Add lemon zest if you wish to punch up the citrus flavor. This bread also makes a great “little” gift.
Ingredients
- Margarine - 3/4 cup
- Sugar - 2 cups
- Eggs - 3
- Flour - 3-1/3 cups
- Baking Powder - 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt - 1-1/2 teaspoons
- Lemon Pudding - 2 cups (see below, or make from packaged mix)
- Milk - 3 tablespoons
- Unsalted Butter - 1/4 cup, clarified
- Lemon Pudding (Makes 2-1/2 cups)
- Cornstarch - 3 tablespoons
- and sugar to taste - 1 cup
- Dash of salt
- Warm Water - 1-1/2 cups
- Lemon Juice - 1/2 cup
- Egg Yolks - 4, beaten
- Unsalted Butter - 1 tablespoon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Brush two loaf pans with a little melted butter and lightly dust with flour. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy, 6 to 8 minutes. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir into the butter-sugar mixture in three additions. Add the lemon pudding and the milk and mix until well combined. Pour into the prepared loaf pans; the batter should come about half way up the sides of the pans. Tap the pans on a work surface to bring any bubbles to the top and settle the batter into the pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, turning the pans around half way through. The loaves are done when a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.
Remove the loaves from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter. Let cool 10 minutes, then turn out of the pans and let cool 1 hour before slicing.
Lemon Pudding
In a heavy saucepan, mix the cornstarch, sugar, and salt and stir together. Add the warm water and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir a small amount of the hot lemon mixture into the egg yolks, then slowly add the yolks to the mixture in the pan, whisking as you add. Cook but do not boil until the mixture thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir constantly with a whisk to maintain a smooth consistency. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the butter into the lemon mixture until it is melted. Pour into a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface and let cool. The pudding will thicken more as it cools. Refrigerate if not using within an hour.